LOGAN, Utah - Utah State gymnastics (0-6, 0-0 MW) continues its 2024 season this weekend with a tri meet at No. 36 Southern Utah (2-4) and against No. 24 Arizona State (1-1) in Cedar City, Utah, on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. Links to live streams and stats are available at www.utahstateaggies.com. 
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MEET INFORMATION
Utah State at Southern Utah / vs. Arizona State

Date: Jan. 19, 2024

March In: 7 p.m.

Site: Cedar City, Utah

Venue: America First Event Center (5,300)

Stream: Overnght.com

Live Stats: virti.us
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HEAD COACH KRISTIN WHITE
"We are looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow. We anticipate some lineup changes that we believe are going to help boost our confidence and strength from a depth standpoint. The women are motivated to turn things around and we look forward to this next step in trusting our process."
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THE COMPETITION
Arizona State comes into the meet as the No. 24 team in the country with an average score of 196.050. Last weekend, Arizona State placed second behind No. 6 Denver, 196.375 to 196.900. The Sun Devils scored their first team score above 196.000 of the season. The beam event total of 49.325 was the best event total in any event so far this season. Additionally, the team set a program record for streaks of 49-plus on vault, extending it to 12 in a row dating back to last season.

There were two event winners over the weekend, with senior Anaya Smith winning her second in a row on vault (9.925) and sophomore Kimmy Smith winning her first event title of her career on beam (9.925). Both scores are the highest on those events for the Sun Devils this season.

Southern Utah comes into the meet as the No. 36 team in the country with an average score of 195.013. Last time, out SUU placed third at the Rio Tinto Top of Utah Meet with a score of 194.000. The Thunderbirds finished third at the Mean Girls Super 16 to open the season, scoring the highest road opening score in program history at 196.025.
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UTAH STATE NOTES
Utah State will begin the meet on beam and end on bars. Southern Utah begins on floor and Utah opens on vault.

AGGIES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Utah State is ranked No. 56 in the country in Week 2 of the Road to Nationals rankings with an average team score of 193.388. The Aggies are also 44th in the nation on bars (48.613), 45th on beam (48.450), 51st on vault (48.563) and 68th on floor (47.763).

Individually, senior Brianna Brooks is second in the Mountain West and tied for 72nd in the nation in the all-around (38.725), and second in the MW and tied for 99th in the nation on bars (9.838).

RECAPPING THE BEST OF UTAH MEET
Utah State posted a season-high 193.600 to place fourth at the Rio Tinto Best of Utah Meet held in West Valley City, Utah on Monday. USU began the meet with a 48.250 on beam, followed by a 47.675 on floor, a season-high 48.600 on vault and a season-high 49.075 on bars.

Fifth-ranked Utah won the meet with a 197.725, 26th-ranked BYU finished second with a 195.775 and 25th-ranked Southern Utah placed third with a 194.000. 

Senior Brianna Brooks started her night off with a team-high 9.775 on beam to tie for ninth on the event. Following Brooks' score were senior Lexi Aragon and junior Dani Kirstine with a pair of 9.725s, which tied them for 14th. Kirstine's score was a season high. 

Utah State took the floor for the second rotation. Senior Jenna Eagles highlighted the event with a season-high 9.850 to tie for sixth. Graduate student Alivia Ostendorf followed with a season-high-tying 9.800 as she tied for 13th.

Utah State's vault rotation began the turnaround for the Aggies as they scored a season-high 48.600. Brooks and Ostendorf, along with freshman Nyla Morabito, lead the team with 9.750s, tying for 10th.

The Aggies saved their best rotation for last as they recorded a season-high 49.075 on bars. Brooks posted the best score of the night for USU with a season-best 9.875, which tied her for fifth on the event. Graduate transfer Juliette Boyer earned a season-high 9.825 and tied for 12th, while Aragon and sophomore Avery Bibbey tied for 15th with a pair of 9.800s, which is a season-high for both gymnasts, and Kirstine scored a season-high 9.775. 

ARAGON HONORED BY MOUNTAIN WEST
Utah State senior Lexi Aragon was named the Mountain West Beam Specialist of the Week last week for her performance at the North Carolina Quad Meet. It was Aragon's first-ever conference honor.

Aragon, native of Salt Lake City, Utah, scored a career-high 9.850 on beam to tie for first on the event, which was her first-career event title. Aragon's score helped USU to a 48.650 on the beam, which was a team high at the UNC Quad Meet.

MOUNTAIN WEST ADDS GYMNASTICS
The Mountain West announced on May 24, 2023, the addition of women's gymnastics as the Conference's 19th sponsored sport starting with the 2023-2024 academic year. Joining USU as competing institutions in MW women's gymnastics will be Air Force, Boise State and San José State.

Most recently, Utah State competed in the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference from 2014-23, in the Western Athletic Conference from 2006-13, in the Western Gymnastics Conference from 2002-05, and in the Big West Conference from 1992-2001.

Utah State's last conference title was in 2022. All-time, USU has six conference championships (2022, 2005, 2001, 1998, 1996, 1992) and has advanced to the NCAA Regionals 27 times.

LOOKING AT THE 2024 ROSTER
Under the direction of second-year head coach Kristin White, the Aggies return 11 gymnasts from last year's squad in graduates Lexi Aragon and Alivia Ostendorf, seniors Brianna Brooks, Jenna Eagles and Angel Stuart, juniors Amari Evans, Payton Gatzlaff and Dani Kirstine, and sophomores Avery Bibbey, Marley Peterson and Chelsea Southam. Newcomers on the team include freshmen Lexi Boone, Sydney Jelen, Nyla Morabito, Riley Sorrell, Isabella Vater, Mya Witte and Hattie Wright, along with graduate transfer Juliette Boyer.

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2023 SEASON
Utah State finished the 2023 season at 2-15 overall with a fourth-place finish at the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championships. The Aggies sent two gymnasts to the NCAA Regional Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, including current senior Brianna Brooks, who tied for third on bars with a score of 9.925, the second-best score in program history.

Brooks was named the NCAA North Central Region (Region 2) Gymnast of the Year by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association, and was named first-team all-MRGC in the all-around and second-team all-MRGC on beam. Graduate Alivia Ostendorf earned second-team all-MRGC honors on floor.
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FOLLOW ALONG
The tri meet will be streamed live on at Overnght.com and live scoring will be available at www.virts.us. Fans can also follow the Utah State gymnastics social media outlets for meet updates.

For more information on the Utah State gymnastics program, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @USUGymnastics, on Facebook at UtahStateGymnastics and on Instagram at USUGymnastics.